1.06.2009

Web Comics - Honorable Mentions

Sadly, sometimes I'm "that guy" (or is it "that" guy?) who commits the sin of omission in not mentioning other amazing achievements in the fields of music, books, etc. My dear friend Jared would point out that my Top 5 albums forgot Parts & Labor's Receivers LP of which I have heard bits and loved, but have not listened to at length. It is a good disc, and though not entirely within the parameters of my music taste, I would be a fool not to mention its brilliance. I do, in fact, intend to pick it up (uh oh, I'm getting a little defensive) at some point in the next month to give it a solid listen and perhaps even a full review. Perhaps I will juxtapose it to another experimental/indie/noise outfit like The Fiery Furnaces, whose The Widow City is currently in heavy rotation in my ears. That said, I'm fallible, and so I've had friends and colleagues send me emails and links to comics I forgot in response to yesterday's post. I've read most of these, and feel a fool for forgetting them. Check these out. Laugh. Pray for the strength to go on. And laugh harder.

Featuring inspired, original art and writing, Nedroid.com stars a half-bear half-potato named aptly, Beartato, and his bird friend Reginald. Assorted secondary comics fill the site with the same wit and energy. The 200 Bad Comics Challenge features some of the best short, one-off jokes ever... and a lot of groaners too.

You've more than likely already seen PBF somewhere on the 'net. It has been featured on College Humor and is thrown about facebook constantly. It's also "cat hanging from a moving ceiling fan" funny! All the strips are short and sweet, usually with a twist ending that's crass, bitter, and never Shyamalan-esque. (That is, lame and expected...)

It's cute! It's poignant! It's fun! It's Canadian! There's an offbeat disillusionment built into a sometimes childlike frame that makes this comic especially enjoyable. I haven't read enough to be any less Sphinx-like, so umm, we'll just type a bit more to fill some space.

The main reason I left this off the list is because it is a serial. You get a page a day, and the stories proceed in traditional comic book fashion, making it a hard strip to just pop in on and have a chuckle. Dr. McNinja combines gags on traditional action comics and films, the cool one-liners spouted by action heroes, and topics like zombies, ninjas, robots, gorillas, dinosaurs, bears with guns attached to them, and a side-kick with an incredible moustache and an itchy trigger finger. If you enjoy any of those things, as well as hilariously contrived action villains, start from the beginning and read through. You will not be disappointed.

If (read: since) I am forgetting other prominent web comics, post a comment with the url in there, and encourage everyone to check it out.

The comic (pictured) accompanying the post is one of mine... *shameless plug-town*